Ballard,
B.D. 2013. A CNY College’s
Efforts at Addressing Climate Change: Renewable Energy Projects
and Education at Morrisville State College. Community forum:
“Responding to Climate Change in Central New York,” hosted by
Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, NY, on April 16, 2013.

Building a Small-Scale Biodiesel Production System: Design
and Process Specifications

Safety Considerations in a Small Biodiesel Production
Facility (codes/regulations list)

System Overview and Equipment & Supplies Utilized for
Biodiesel Production (detailed item and price lists)

Shrub Identification Guides
(click on images for a preview of these books). Second edition of the NE Shrub & Short Tree ID book is
now
available! (Contact
Ben Ballard for more information on ordering these books.)

Shawn and Rob are preparing a titration of biodiesel
to determine residual soap and catalyst levels.

Test batches of biodiesel using various
feedstocks, including vegetable oils and animal fats. The
separation line is glycerol, which settles to the bottom of the
funnel.

The
College's dairy farm produces about
900 kWh of electricity each day day (that's the equivalent of an typical home's
monhtly energy use) from cow maure. Bacteria in the
digester
break down the organic wastes into organic acids which are
broken down further by methanogenic bacteria that produce
methane gas. The "biogas" is about 60% methane and 40% carbon
dioxide.

Students touring the Madison County
Landfill biogas combined heat and power facility.

Morrisville technician servicing the
BioMax100 gasifier. This unit
generates heat and electricity for
Commons I (student housing). Biomass (wood chips) is
converted to syngas in the gasifier, which is filtered and then
combusted in two GM Vortec engines connected to generators
producing a net 100 kW electric output.

Students preparing the wood gasification
Power Pallet for a
live demonstration (electricity from wood chips
and horse manure!). This unit has
been customized by MSC students. See how it works:
here!

Students are changing the screens on the
wood chipper/grinder used to process cull logs (and other
biomass residues, see below) from campus
properties for use as biofuel.

Students are processing horse manure and soiled bedding to
evaluate the material as a potential bioenergy feedstock.

Dr. Hofmeyer tightens tower bolts on a
very cold installation at a wind turbine test site in Tully, NY.

Ryan and Tyler practice fusing HDPE pipe,
which is commonly used as penstock material for microhydro
electric systems.

Tim and Josh mount a micro hydroelectric turbine
during lab at the
Galbreath Farm.

Dr. Ballard and Tyler are checking the
Bergey Excel 10kW wind turbine (@120 ft.) to determine what is needed to
repair the furling cable (note the tail is not in its furled
position, as it normally would be when technicians climb the
tower).

As part of their solar PV lab, Renewable
Energy students work with a local installer on this
Solarize Madison
job.

Tower climbing and rescue class starts out
on the 17-ft. indoor tower in the Shannon Hall classroom...later
in the semester students work outside on the 120-ft. tall Bergey
tower!

The Shannon Hall wind/solar lab gives students hands-on
experience with the electrical components for both wind and
solar PV systems.

Floating raft pond system. Lettuce is
grown in rock wool plugs held in place in foam boards. The roots
are submerged in the pond (aeration stones provide air to the
roots).

Crop diversification on the raft system.
The raft system is connected to the tilapia tanks. The fish
provide fertilizer (dissolved nutrients; fish waste solids are
removed prior to the pond, and water is UV sterilized), and the
plants help "clean" nutrients out of the water.

NFT (nutrient film technique) using
"gutters" to deliver a constant stream of nutrient-rich water to
the plant roots. Water is recirculated from a sump tank to the
gutters and monitored daily for nutrient an pH levels.

Ag. business students, Dr. Xu Pei, and
Eric Bremiller (greenhouse manager) harvesting lettuce to be
sold by Morrisville Fresh. Much of our lettuce is used
at the dining halls on campus, as well as the
Copper Turret
restaurant, which is operated by Morrisville
Auxiliary Corporation (MAC).

Scrubbing the fish tanks is a regular
occurrence, trying to keep up with the algae.

One of our tilapia, ready for harvest. Our
fish are sold live to an Asian market in Syracuse.